Pittsburgh received 10 of the 12 first-place votes for 382 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who regularly cover the NFL.
The 9-0 start is the best in franchise history and the Steelers are a strong favorite to stay perfect as they face the one-win Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
“Ben Roethlisberger is in the MVP conversation. And were it not for (Washington's) Alex Smith, he’d be in contention for Comeback Player of the Year honors,” Newsday's Bob Glauber said.
“And the Steelers are in the conversation for teams that have a chance to dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC.